Wild & Scenic Film Festival coming June 27

The Northwoods Land Trust is bringing the Wild & Scenic Film Festival to the Three Lakes Center for the Arts on the evening of Thursday, June 27. Nine captivating films have been selected and packed into a two-hour program to highlight issues in our global environment that relate to forests, fresh water, recreation, climate change, environmental justice, and community, according to a NWLT press release.

One of the feature films — “Breaking Trail” — follows Emily and her borrowed sled dog as they journey the entire Ice Age Trail in winter. She becomes the first woman and person of color to thru-hike it. The Ice Age Trail is one of only 11 National Scenic Trails in the country, is 1,200 miles long, and contained entirely within Wisconsin. 

The second feature film — “The Beautiful Undammed” — chronicles an inspiring story of ecological rebirth. Ten years after the largest dam removal in history on the Elwha River in Washington, salmon populations have recovered and are transferring critical nutrients from the ocean into the forests along the Elwha’s banks, enriching the entire ecosystem. The river’s revival led to the removal of many larger dams in the region, and in the rest of the world.

The other independent films include the story of a family of bears that have become a part of the community in a small Italian village, the story of a professor and engineer who turn an Ohio abandoned coal mine toxic pollution into paint, and the story of an 11-year-old boy from California who is on a mission to talk about a devastating fungal disease that has led to a dramatic decline in toads and other amphibians, and more stories from California, Utah, and Cameroon. 

Tickets are $20 for adults and $12 for youth. Seating is limited. Tickets are sold directly through the NWLT website at www.northwoodslandtrust.org/filmfest. 

The film fest will run from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. A short social reception will follow the show in the lobby, with complimentary beer served.

Funds raised will support the Northwoods Land Trust’s mission to protect land and water resources in northern Wisconsin. Partnering local business sponsors include Mel’s Trading Post, Rhinelander Brewing Company, The Hiker Box, and WXPR. This event is a part of a nationwide tour to inspire and ignite solutions and possibilities to change the world, the release states.